Thank you for the cards sent for her birthday. Although she tried to keep it a secret, the members in her area “treated” her very well with cookies, candy bars, cards, and dinner complete with a banner and some signs.
Service:
On Memorial Day, Sister Kanani and her companion helped a recent convert/less active put flags on Veteran’s graves at St. Bridget’s Catholic Cemetery. (This is a big step out of her comfort zone because otherwise the only time she would be caught in a cemetery is if she were dead.) Most of those buried in the cemetery were Irish from the 1800’s & early 1900’s.
There have been a lot of opportunities to help people move, members and nonmembers. The Sisters have cleaned and sorted through a basement for a member who was getting their home ready to sell. They have helped neighbors of a contact move. And they helped a Ward member move plants around her house. Their set service is to wash used clothes and rags for a local children’s museum.
Tracting:
The weather in Connecticut has been more like April instead of June and made tracting interesting. Sister Kanani describes the rain as “like walking through a plant mister” mixed with slightly larger raindrops. There have been some good contacts with really nice people like the older spunky gentleman who “had us pull up a chair” on his front steps. They were able to get a copy of a large print Book of Mormon for him to read. Another contact is an older lady who lives next to the church. “She is hilarious and while she might be 84 she acts like she is still 40. She's awesome.”
Teaching:
There is a lot of work being done with less actives. They read the Book of Mormon with them and teach lessons to strengthen them. Sister K. said of one, “She may not be coming to Church, but there is a growth of testimony there.”
One woman that Sister Kanani and her companion have been teaching is progressing. She has been trying hard to do what is right. She is reading the Book of Mormon, attending Church, and has set a baptismal date. She recently gave birth to a baby girl and named her Saraih, after Nephi’s mother. “How cool is that.”
They have been able to have some good lessons with referrals from members. They met with couple of young women that were interested in learning more about the Church. Angela said, “so it was a nice change.”
Another woman had been trying to read the Book of Mormon in English, but the words were hard for her, so they were able to get her a copy in Tagalog.
One night a week, they have a Book of Mormon night. More people are coming, mostly recent converts and those that have just moved into the area.
There have been those hard weeks, where there have been a lot of cancellations and some disappointments.
Two couples that had been making great progress are experiencing some setbacks.
A less active member that had been attending Church, reading the Book of Mormon, and stopped smoking, began smoking again. Sister K. wrote, “It broke our hearts. We had a lesson with her, but it still broke our hearts.” She also has made a lot of excuses not to come to Church. “It is hard when you love someone so much and you can see what will benefit
Two couples that had been making great progress are experiencing some setbacks.
A less active member that had been attending Church, reading the Book of Mormon, and stopped smoking, began smoking again. Sister K. wrote, “It broke our hearts. We had a lesson with her, but it still broke our hearts.” She also has made a lot of excuses not to come to Church. “It is hard when you love someone so much and you can see what will benefit
them, but they just won’t do it.”
One of the positive things happening is that a Sister Return Missionary has moved into the Ward for the summer for an internship. She has been able to go out to a few lessons and help with appointments. “We are so grateful for her and that she understands how missionary life can be. ...how sometimes appointments aren’t just lessons, but helping people out....”
Sister K. & her companion were able to take two recent converts to the Boston Temple for the first time to do baptisms for the dead. “I miss the feeling in the Temple so much. It truly is a blessing to live in Utah and have so many so close. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT!!!”
A few weeks ago, Sister Kanani asked if we would pray for the approving of the Hartford Temple. “The Hartford [CT] Temple will be built in Farmington. It is before the zoning committee right now and we are praying every day that it will be passed. We read the article in the newspaper about the concerns. But since the Boston Temple had the same concerns, we are hoping that the neighbors in Farmington will realize that not all 14 million members will be attending their Temple.”
Sister Kanani tells us “we are still happily going along.” And, “...we are relying on each other and the Lord.”
